This article was downloaded by: [Simon Fraser University]

On: 12 November 2014, At: 16:45

Publisher: Routledge
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer
House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Journal of Architectural Conservation

Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raco20

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the

Conservation of Historic Cities
Dennis Rodwell
Published online: 16 Jan 2014.

To cite this article: Dennis Rodwell (2003) Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities,
Journal of Architectural Conservation, 9:1, 58-73, DOI: 10.1080/13556207.2003.10785335

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13556207.2003.10785335

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained
in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no
representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of
the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,
and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied
upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall
not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other
liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or
arising out of the use of the Content.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic
reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any
form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://
www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 58

Sustainability and the Holistic

Approach to the Conservation
of Historic Cities
DENNIS RODWELL
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

Abstract
Sustainable development is one of the core agendas of our time. It is a concept
that has gathered momentum over the past decade. Urban conservation is
a concept that has been with us since at least the 1960s. How do these two
concepts relate to each other? How can they be brought together in a common
philosophy and practice? This paper aims to summarize weaknesses in current
philosophy and practice in urban conservation; to set out the relationship
between successful architectural conservation and wider agendas of sustain-
ability and cultural identity; to highlight the communality of approach and
practice that needs to be fostered and developed between a complex range of
interrelated issues and disciplines; and to extend both the perceived relevance
of architectural conservation and its level of attainment. This paper is based
upon the author’s work in the United Kingdom and in continental Europe, East
and West.

Sustainability, conservation, and historic cities

‘Sustainable development’ is about human beings working in harmony
with their natural and manmade environments to safeguard the long-
term interests of the planet and its many life forms. It is about address-
ing social, environmental, and economic issues in an integrated way,
meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future gener-
ations to meet theirs.
‘Conservation’ is defined under the Burra Charter1 as ‘all the processes
of looking after a place so as to retain its cultural significance’, cultural
significance being an amalgam of issues that encompass the tangible and
the intangible.

58 Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 59

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities

As centres of both tangible and intangible heritage, historic cities are

not just a matter of old buildings – some of which we may classify as
monuments – and the physical environments of which they form a part.
Historic cities are places where people have created societies that
sometimes date back several centuries. They are places with a soul – a
genius loci. They are places of cultural identity and achievement. They
are places where human cultural traditions have evolved over time and
are in a constant state of evolution.

Harmony and conflict

Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

A catchword of our times, ‘sustainability’ means different things to differ-

ent people.
To Sir Bernard Feilden, writing in the first edition of this Journal,
sustainability is about prolonging the life of a building in order to
contribute to a saving of energy, money and materials, and conserva-
tion is about preserving our heritage in order to make the best use of it.2
Within these terms, related to the finite resources of the natural and
manmade world, sustainability and conservation are synonymous.
On the other hand, to the town-centre investor whose focus of atten-
tion is commercial property, sustainability means achieving a level of
economic growth that is attractive to continuous capital investment
into existing buildings, new development, or other significant change-
driven and money-orientated activity.3 Here, the economic issue is the
dominant one, disassociated from the social and environmental issues
of sustainable development. This limited interpretation of sustainability
pre-supposes unlimited material resources and their continuing consump-
tion and waste. It is the antithesis of conservation.
The architect-planner G. Shankland neatly summed up the conse-
quences as long ago as 1968:4
Today in most western countries it is the mis-spent wealth in development
which is the biggest agent of the destruction of historic cities, not physical
decay.

Many have written of the often-disastrous social, environmental, and

economic consequences of this mis-spent wealth. The destruction in
the United Kingdom included great swathes of soundly constructed inner-
city housing, much of it in historic areas, whether for reasons of central
area redevelopment or so-called slum clearance. It also destroyed mixity

Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003 59

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 60

Dennis Rodwell

of use and the proximity of essential services; it forced major changes in

patterns of property ownership and retailing in city centres. It created the
need for expensive – and essentially unsustainable – transport infra-
structure simply to enable cities to function for everyday human activi-
ties, such as shopping, going to school, to work, and to the doctor.

Development or evolution?
These negative experiences suggest that we should be cautious about how
we define the word ‘development’. At a recent conference, Tamás
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

Fejérdy, Chairman of the World Heritage Committee, expressed concern

that development should not be interpreted as something that is forced.5
As such, it is not necessarily welcome in the context of historic cities,
places where ‘authenticity’ and ‘integrity’ are key factors in determining
cultural significance.6 In many instances – whether they be geographic
or socio-economic – ‘evolution’ is a more appropriate concept to apply.

Heritage as a material resource

Where sustainability and conservation are treated as complementary, the
common principles are quite simple: the wise use of resources to ensure
their continuity of supply; minimum intervention to fabric and cultural
identity (physical, social, economic, artistic); and constructive evolution
as opposed to destructive revolution.
These common principles do not, however, coincide with architec-
tural conservation when the latter is defined solely in terms of architec-
tural and historic interest. Indeed, there is a strong sense in which the
word ‘heritage’ can be a handicap. Personally, I prefer the French word
patrimoine, derived as it is from the concept of secure inheritance: that
which is accumulated and passed down from one generation to another
and is not destroyed in the process; an incremental trusteeship.7 Implicit
in this word origin is respect for the contributions of successive genera-
tions – including the contribution of our own generation and the respect
it will obtain from its successors. Implicit also is a far broader value judge-
ment than is contained in concepts such as ‘special interest’, ‘historical
evidence’ or ‘documents’, and ‘messages from history’.
Sustainability and architectural conservation therefore coincide
most closely when our built heritage is considered not just as a cultural
resource, but as a material one. In this, the geographical context for the
G. Shankland quote is significant. The remarkable degree of survival,

60 Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 61

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities

Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

Figure 1 Banska Stiavnica, Slovakia, a former mining town, now a World

Heritage Site. The remarkable degree of survival of historic buildings in urban areas
across Eastern Europe is explained by their value as a material resource rather than
for their ‘special architectural or historic interest’. (Dennis Rodwell)

generally, of the built heritage across Eastern Europe during the social-
ist period may be accounted for quite simply (Figure 1); it was too valuable
in terms of its usefulness for it to be destroyed in the name of progress. It
may have been neglected, but at least it survived.8
Considered as a material resource, words such as fabric – defined under
the Burra Charter as ‘all the physical material of the place’ – and authen-
ticity – defined elsewhere as ‘materially original or genuine as it was
constructed and as it has aged and weathered in time’9 – take on far more
importance than is reflected under the United Kingdom’s protective legis-
lation for listed buildings and conservation areas.10

Ambiguity and lack of ambition

Indeed, the United Kingdom protective legislation is burdened with terms
that are abstract, ambiguous, or imprecise in the public mind: ‘charac-
ter’, ‘appearance’, ‘preserve or enhance’. Whole sectors of the building
industry, whether they are marketing period homes or plastic look-a-
like windows and doors, have fed on this ambiguity. Recently, a report

Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003 61

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 62

Dennis Rodwell

was passed to the author that justified the proposed demolition of an

unlisted Regency villa in a conservation area on grounds that included
that it pre-dated [sic] the buildings that made up its special character;11
English Heritage guidance was cited to support this view.12 Again,
recently, the author was asked if permission would be granted to demol-
ish a listed house in a World Heritage Site in order to construct a ‘period
house’ on its site. ‘Authenticity’ and ‘integrity’ are terms that are neither
used nor understood.
‘Character’ and ‘appearance’ have reduced much of the role of the
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

conservation officer and urban designer to that of a theatrical set designer,

concerned with morphology and architectural detail when viewed from
certain public vantage points, skin-deep, and unrelated to the functions
of buildings, to the intangible cultural heritage, and to the human tradi-
tions of any given place. This role favours a monochromatic view of what
constitutes architectural character in any given historic area and it
supports pastiche and timidity where replacement or new building occurs.
It places preservation of the dominant physical character of a place above
past design evolution and above evolutionary enhancement in the future.
It ignores continuity of human occupation, activities, and traditions.
Architectural conservation remains marginalized, perceived as elitist,
romantic and reactionary, in conflict rather than in accord with our times.
In part, this is a function of the social and intellectual roots of the archi-
tectural conservation movement.13
Architectural conservation also remains too willing to compromise.
Indicative of this was the ICOMOS international conference held in Paris
in January 1999 under the title Façadism and Urban Identity, at which
seductive technical ingenuity took pride of place and urban identity was
presented almost exclusively in architectural and morphological terms.
Architectural taxidermy – whether total or partial – is both costly and
wasteful. It trivializes the built environment as theatrical scenery. It
disguises major destruction to the physical and social fabric and to cultural
identity (Figure 2). Severe levels of internal reconstruction of buildings
within historic city centres continue to be regarded favourably: as markers
of economic vitality rather than as evidence of a destructive level of inter-
vention in a valuable material resource.
‘Characterization’ is a phenomenon of which we should be very wary.
We must be cautious, for example, of any concept that taken to its
logical conclusion is not dependent on the conservation of any building
or component in an historic area.14 We have already experienced the

62 Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 63

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities

Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

Figure 2 Glasgow. Façadism is both costly and wasteful. It disguises major

destruction to the fabric and cultural identity of a place. (Dennis Rodwell)

devastation of architectural detail in our conservation areas – and, with

the blessing of government guidance, not just in those where Article 4
Directions are not in force.15
There has been a particular failure to absorb sustainability issues into
the philosophy and practice of urban conservation, the arena in which
the two would most benefit from working in harmony.
All this ambiguity is symptomatic of a lack of ambition. Conservation
follows rather than leads. Matters that are fundamental to successful
urban conservation – such as the use to which buildings (both individ-
ually and collectively) in historic areas are put, movement and trans-
port – are generally treated as not being conservation matters. And yet
they are fundamental to the achievement of best practice both of conser-
vation and of sustainability. Conservation should be leading in this.

Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003 63

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 64

Dennis Rodwell

The conflict with modern town planning

The ambiguity and lack of ambition arise from the origins of the dominant
strand of modern town-planning theory and a failure to reassess its
relevance to today’s challenges. This dominant strand remains rooted
in the pollution, poverty, and unsanitary conditions of English cities at
the time of the First Industrial Revolution. It was this human experi-
ence that motivated Ebenezer Howard (1850–1928)16 and, in turn, Le
Corbusier (1887–1965)17 to promote the re-structuring of our historic
cities according to the notion of the separation of functions – work,
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

residence, and recreation – linked by mechanisms of transport. It was this

that inspired Sir Geoffrey Crowther in his preface to the shortened edition
of the Buchanan Report to promote the re-planning and re-building of
our historic cities.18
There remains a strong anti-urban sentiment across large parts of the
United Kingdom, a perception that city centres serve only as focal points
for business, commerce and entertainment, and a resistance to city-centre
living and to small-scale mixed uses within them.
The dominant strand of modern town-planning theory is essentially
in conflict with the tangible and intangible heritage of historic city centres.
Since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1990, this strand has been exported
to certain historic cities in Central and Eastern Europe, such as to
Prague.19 Fortunately, a lack of resources has prevented this strand taking
a major foothold and the passage of time is leading to its relevance being
questioned, both in theory and in practice, in cities such as Sibiu in
Transylvania.20

Harmonious co-existence
The Italian, Gustavo Giovannoni (1873–1947),21 whose perceptions were
not tarnished by the same forceful imagery as Ebenezer Howard, promoted
a separate theory: the co-existence of old and new by respecting the use
and cultural qualities of the one and the separate potential of the other.
The practice of this theory is seen, for example, in the historical example
of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh. And, in modern times, in the
post-Second World War development of the administrative and business
quarter of La Défense outside the boulevard périphérique in Paris (Figure
3) – which represented an alternative to Le Corbusier’s Plan Voisin of
1925 that would have led, inter alia, to the replacement of the entire
Marais quarter with 18 skyscrapers.

64 Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 65

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities

Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

Figure 3 La Défense, Paris. The construction of this new business quarter outside
the boulevarde périphérique focused pressures for new development away from the
historic centre. (Dennis Rodwell)

Gustavo Giovannoni was not in the same league as either Ebenezer

Howard or Le Corbusier as a promoter of his ideas, and he was not
remarked in his time. Nevertheless, it is his theory of harmonious
co-existence that best serves the protection both of the built environ-
ment and of communities. Giovannoni’s theory prioritizes the channelling
of development pressures creatively, not destructively, in the revitaliza-
tion process for historic cities. It supports stability in uses and occupan-
cies. His is a theory thus avoids the focusing of high land and building
values in historic areas. It discourages the view that historic city centres
should be the focal points for large-scale commercial redevelopment; it
enables them to sustain their residential capacity, local shops, and artisan
workshops. It implies an overall strategic approach, one that integrates
sustainability and conservation (Figure 4).22
Such a strategic approach is rarely seen in the United Kingdom, where
historic city centres continue to be seen as the focal points for economic
activity and destructive development pressures, and are sanitized of
essential small-scale industry. For example, in conformity with the key
objectives of the Esher Report,23 large-scale retailing activity has
continued to be focused in the historic centre of York and traditional craft

Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003 65

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 66

Dennis Rodwell

industries such as Dick Reid’s stone and wood carving shop have been
moved out.24

International conservation charters

Whereas the Athens Charter (1931)25 established the basic scientific
principles for the preservation and restoration of historic monuments and
the Venice Charter (1964)26 extended these to apply to their urban or rural
settings and to vernacular structures, the Declaration of Amsterdam
(1975)27 was the first to recognize the importance of historic areas, to
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

espouse integrated conservation, and to embrace social factors and

citizens’ participation. In hindsight, this Declaration’s lack of apprecia-
tion of integrated, cross-service urban economics and its assumption that
conservation and rehabilitation are necessarily costly appear dated.
The Washington Charter (1987)28 states that ‘the conservation of
historic towns and other historic urban areas should be an integral part
of coherent policies of economic and social development and of urban
and regional planning at every level’; it makes specific reference to

Figure 4 Place des Vosges, centre-piece of the Marais quarter, Paris. A strategic
approach to urban planning that is based on the harmonious co-existence of new
and old is a major factor in the achievement of successful conservation of the
tangible and intangible cultural heritage in historic city areas. (Dennis Rodwell)

66 Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 67

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities

improvements to service infrastructure and housing, and to controls over

traffic and parking. The last revision to the Burra Charter (1999)29 extends
the definition of ‘cultural significance’ to include the uses and associa-
tions of a place. All these shifts beyond the scientific approach are
welcome, but need to be taken further. We need to shed our timidity
and engage with others.

Extending the relevance of architectural conservation

Urban civilization is the dominant pattern across Europe, accounting
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

for some 80% of its population. In the United Kingdom, new building
now accounts for only around 1% annually relative to the existing build-
ing stock. Worldwide, there are mounting concerns about our planet’s
limited material resources. The resource value of our built heritage is,
therefore, a very powerful argument in favour of its conservation – over
and above its special architectural or historic interest. We need to
embrace the vocabulary of the ecologist and develop much stronger allies
with global agendas of sustainability.
As such, architectural conservation has a vital contributory role to play
in leading town-planning policy in all its social, environmental, and
economic complexity rather than just informing it.

The holistic approach

The holistic approach to the conservation of historic cities places conser-
vation shoulder-to-shoulder with sustainability and prioritizes the avoid-
ance of conflict. It seeks common-ownership of a vision and working
framework that is co-ordinated across the diversity and multiplicity of
disciplines and players in urban management and urban life. In short, it
demands joined-up thinking and joined-up working, all from a core that
integrates best practice in both sustainability and conservation.
In recent years, in conjunction with the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and drawing from
collective international sources and experience, the author has sought
to develop a set of co-ordinated guiding principles and to inform and
test them against diverse current urban conservation practice across
Central and Eastern Europe, a region that is rich in material and human
resources, but limited in financial ones.30
No one is pretending that this is easy, but the challenge and the oppor-
tunity for establishing new methods of working that place conservation

Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003 67

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 68

Dennis Rodwell

and sustainability to the fore, methods that work with, rather than against,
both the tangible and the intangible heritage of any given place, are
immense. Given the high level of survival of historic environments
throughout the region, and of the human cultures that live and work
within them, the responsibility to avoid repeating mistakes made
elsewhere is very considerable. In turn, new methods and solutions may
reflect back beneficially on theory and practice in the United Kingdom
and other parts of Western Europe.
The latest version of the guiding principles is given as an appendix to
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

this paper. Its content makes no particular claim to originality. Rather,

it attempts to set down in one place the spectrum of issues that need to
be taken into account, to connect them into a common philosophy that
expresses the inter-relationship between good practice in architectural
conservation and sustainable development, and to serve as the spring-
board and benchmark for co-ordinated action.
The application of these principles pre-supposes a place-specific
approach, one that is ‘bottom-up’ rather than ‘top-down’. It starts from
analysis and understanding of the identity of a historic city both in terms
of the evolution of its physical heritage and of its human culture. It is
not time-barred and only concerned with history. It does not seek to
fossilize either the tangible or the intangible culture. It anticipates conti-
nuity and works with it.
The place-specific approach incorporates both flexibility and imagi-
nation into the equation. It makes specific demands on building profes-
sionals, such as architects, to work with what exists and not seek to impose
incompatible and alien ideas or technical solutions. It pre-supposes that
significance, authenticity, and integrity will be respected. It is an essen-
tial truism that architects require several times more imagination to work
constructively with existing buildings than against them or when design-
ing new ones.
The holistic approach allows the buildings, the plot sizes, street
patterns, and open spaces, together with the traditional patterns of use,
movement, and the human culture that goes with them, to determine
the least interventionist approach to the society, environment, and
economy of an historic town. It coincides with the definition of sustain-
able development set out at the beginning of this paper. Architectural
conservation is no longer a marginalized add-on; it is a leading partner
and a driving force.

68 Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 69

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities

Work in progress
The concept of integrated conservation is not a new one. However, the
practice of it, especially in its relationship to wider agendas of sustain-
ability, is. The holistic approach is therefore very much ‘work in progress’.
For the reasons set out – such as the high survival rate of the tangible
and intangible heritage and the lack of financial resources – both the
opportunity and the need to find sustainable solutions for historic cities
is greater in Central and Eastern Europe than in Western Europe. Cities
such as Telc, Kutná Hora and Cesky Krumlov in the more prosperous
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

Czech Republic charted the way in 1990s. Cities such as Sibiu in Romania
(guided by a Romanian-German co-operation project) have taken up
the mantle in the 2000s and are extending it into less prosperous parts
(Figure 5).

Figure 5 Sibiu, Romania. A holistic approach to urban conservation is being

promoted through a conservation-orientated rehabilitation programme that is place-
specific. Capacity-building among local professionals, craftspeople, and citizens is a
major element of the project. (Dennis Rodwell)

Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003 69

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 70

Dennis Rodwell

Conclusion
There are severe limitations on the achievement of good practice in archi-
tectural conservation when it is treated in isolation. From its roots in
the iconic heritage of cathedrals, abbeys, palaces, and stately homes, the
conservation movement has embraced set-piece townscapes, historic
areas, the vernacular, and industrial heritage. The logical progression is
to extend the concept of special interest into resource value, simultane-
ously to engage and co-ordinate with a far wider broader range of partners,
and to embrace the ethos and practice of sustainability with both enthu-
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

siasm and conviction.

In this author’s view, architectural conservation will continue to under-
achieve until such time as it not only integrates with, but also becomes
a driving force in, sustainable development.

Appendix: Co-ordinated guiding principles

Historic buildings
To secure the future of historic buildings through maximizing their usefulness
in today’s society whilst minimizing the impact of any interventions upon
their historic fabric and integrity.
Historic areas
To secure the future of historic areas through maximizing their usefulness in
today’s society whilst minimizing the impact of any interventions upon the
integrity of their historic environments and settings.
Urban planning
To provide the framework within which historic city areas can contribute to
today’s society whilst retaining the integrity of their tangible and intangible
heritage.
New interventions in the built environment
To encourage continuity in the built environment by supporting modern
design in infill developments and in the open spaces between buildings that
respects and enhances the historic environment.
Housing
To minimize destructive interventions in the built and social fabric and
to maximize the potential of historic city areas to function as sustainable
communities.
Essential service infrastructure
To prioritize the provision of essential services as fundamental to securing
a viable future for historic city areas and to integrate these into the historic
fabric.

70 Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 71

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities

Movement and transport

To minimize the damaging impact of mechanized transport on historic city
areas and to prioritize pedestrian movement.
Air and noise pollution
To minimize the damaging impact of air and noise pollution on the fabric of
historic city areas and on their ability to function in today’s society.
Tourism
To welcome the potential of tourism to contribute to the viability of historic
city areas, but not to place over-reliance on it or allow it to dominate.
Socio-economic context
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

To maximize the potential of the cultural heritage to serve as a driver for

economic, social, and environmental regeneration within today’s society
whilst minimizing the damaging consequences of unnecessary and misguided
expenditure.
Human and material resources
To identify the necessary professional and craft skills, to establish the educa-
tional and exchange means to satisfy shortages and omissions, and to secure
their continuity of supply; to identify all necessary material resources and
ensure their continuity of supply.
Heritage presentation, education, and communication
To employ all available means to improve understanding of the value and rel-
evance of our tangible and intangible heritage in today’s society.
Participation
To secure ‘common ownership’ of a conservation- and sustainability-orien-
tated vision and approach to our tangible and intangible heritage.
Creative and live arts
To support by all available means the development of cultural identity and
continuity through the creative and live arts.
Sustainability
To express concisely and convincingly the connections between the conser-
vation of our built heritage and the wider national and international agendas
of sustainability.
Co-ordinating management
To secure, by the means that are appropriate to each location, a framework
of co-ordinating management that is focused on implementing a conserva-
tion- and sustainability-orientated vision of our tangible and intangible
heritage.
International co-operation
To exchange and develop ideas, information, and skills through the estab-
lishment of effective networks.

Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003 71

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 72

Dennis Rodwell

Biography
Dennis Rodwell MA, DipArch(Cantab), DipFrench(Open), RIBA, FRIAS, FSA
Scot, FRSA, IHBC
Dennis Rodwell is a consultant to the Division of Cultural Heritage and to the
World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, Paris. He was, until recently, also conser-
vation officer and urban designer to the city of Derby, England. The author of
numerous articles and papers concerning heritage matters, including compara-
tive studies of conservation policy and practice in Western Europe, he has under-
taken missions on behalf of the World Heritage Centre to Central and Eastern
Europe aimed at achieving best practice in the management of historic cities and
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

the conservation of historic buildings, work that he is developing through

UNESCO’s Division of Cultural Heritage. Recent missions have included
Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and Sibiu, Romania. Previously in practice in Edinburgh as a
consultant architect specializing in the restoration of historic buildings and the
rehabilitation of housing, mostly in historic city areas, he served for six years on
the Edinburgh New Town Conservation Committee, a predecessor organization
to the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust.
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author.

Notes
1 Australia ICOMOS, The Burra Charter (The Australia Charter for Places of Cultural
Significance), Australia ICOMOS (revision, November 1999).
2 Feilden, B., ‘Conservation – Is There No Limit? – A Review’, Journal of Architectural
Conservation, Vol 1, No 1, March 1995, pp. 5–7.
3 Chase, M., ‘Are Our Town Centres Sustainable?’, RSA Journal, Vol CXLIII, No 5461,
July 1995, pp. 40–48.
4 Shankland, G., ‘Conservation through Planning’ in: Ward, P. (Ed.), Conservation
and Development in Historic Towns and Cities, Oriel Press (1968), pp. 73–82.
5 Rodwell, D., ‘From Accolade to Responsibility’, Context, November 2002, p. 30.
6 Rodwell, D., ‘The World Heritage Convention and the Exemplary Management of
Complex Heritage Sites’, Journal of Architectural Conservation, Vol 8, No 3, November
2002, pp. 40–60.
7 A detailed analysis of the origins and evolution of the concept of patrimoine is to be
found in Zouain, G., ‘Le rôle du patrimoine dans l’économie locale’, a paper prepared
for the Séminaire européen sur la gestion des quartiers historiques, Granada, 8–11
November 2000.
8 Rodwell, D., ‘The Achievement of Exemplary Practice in the Protection of our Built
Heritage: The Need for a Holistic Conservation- and Sustainability-Orientated Vision
and Framework’ in: UNESCO, Management of Private Property in the Historic City-
Centres of the European Cities-in-Transition, proceedings of UNESCO international
seminar, Bucharest, April 2001, UNESCO, Paris (2002), pp. 127–53.
9 Feilden, B. and Jokileto, J., Management Guidelines for World Cultural Heritage Sites,
ICCROM, Rome (second edition, 1998).
10 Rodwell, op. cit. (2002), pp. 40–60.

72 Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003

JAC Vol 9/1– Final 14/2/03 9:24 am Page 73

Sustainability and the Holistic Approach to the Conservation of Historic Cities

11 Latham Architects, ‘Report on the Historic Value of Former Offices of Daniels

Pharmaceuticals [Little Chester House], Mansfield Road, Derby’, unpublished report,
Derby, April 2002.
12 English Heritage, Conservation Area Practice, English Heritage, London (1995), para.
4.4.
13 Rodwell, D., ‘Que veut dire patrimoine?’, unpublished paper, Paris, 1999.
14 Simpson, J., ‘Whither Conservation?’ in: Harrison, P. (Ed.), Civilising the City: Quality
or Chaos in Historic Towns, Nic Allen, Edinburgh (1990), pp. 19–25.
15 Rodwell, op. cit. (2002), pp. 40–60.
16 Howard, E., Garden Cities of Tomorrow, Faber and Faber, London, (revised edition,
1965).
17 Le Corbusier, La Charte d’Athènes, Éditions de Minuit, (revised edition, 1957).
Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 16:45 12 November 2014

18 Buchanan, C., Traffic in Towns: The Specially Shortened Edition of the Buchanan Report,
Penguin Books/HMSO, London (1963).
19 Rodwell, D., ‘New Light on Cities that Sell their Souls’, Context, No 66, June 2000,
p. 9.
20 Rodwell, D., ‘Overview of the UNESCO Approach to the Revitalisation of Historic
Cities’, a paper prepared for the International Symposium on the Rehabilitation of
Historic Cities in Eastern and South Eastern Europe, Sibiu, Romania, 10–12 October
2002.
21 Giovannoni, G., L’urbanisme face aux villes anciennes, Éditions du Seuil (1998).
22 Rodwell, D., ‘The French Connection: The Significance for Edinburgh of
Conservation policies in the Marais, Paris’ in: Harrison, P. (Ed.), Civilising the City:
Quality or Chaos in Historic Towns, Nic Allen, Edinburgh (1990), pp. 55–62.
23 Esher, Lord, York: A Study in Conservation, HMSO, London (1968).
24 Simpson, op. cit. (1990).
25 The Athens Charter for the Restoration of Historic Monuments, adopted at the First
International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, Athens
(1931).
26 The Venice Charter: International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of
Monuments and Sites, adopted at the Second International Congress of Architects and
Technicians of Historic Monuments, Venice (1964).
27 The Declaration of Amsterdam, adopted at the Congress on the European Architectural
Heritage, Amsterdam (1975).
28 The Charter for the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Areas (known as the
‘Washington Charter’), adopted at the ICOMOS General Assembly, Washington
(1987).
29 Australia ICOMOS, op. cit. (1999).
30 Rodwell, D., The Revitalisation of World Heritage Cities in Central and Eastern Europe,
Mission Report, UNESCO, World Heritage Centre, 1999; Rodwell, D., ‘The
Achievement of Exemplary Practice in the Protection of our Built Heritage: the Need
for a Holistic Conservation- and Sustainability-Orientated Vision and Framework’
in: UNESCO, Management of Private Property in the Historic City-Centres of the European
Cities-in-Transition, proceedings of UNESCO international seminar, Bucharest, April
2001, UNESCO, Paris (2002), pp. 127–53; Rodwell, D., ‘Overview of the UNESCO
Approach to the Revitalisation of Historic Cities’, a paper prepared for the
International Symposium on the Rehabilitation of Historic Cities in Eastern and South
Eastern Europe, Sibiu, Romania, 10–12 October 2002.

Journal of Architectural Conservation No 1 March 2003 73